Why birth order matters at work

Knowing how your birth order may affect your personality and work style can help you craft your career.

If you ever found yourself having difficulty letting things go at work or following a colleague you deem to be less knowledgeable – you might be the first-born child in your family.

Your birth order gives you a unique view of the world and often influences your interaction with coworkers. Birth order influences the roles and positions we seek in our careers and affect the way we interact.

While you can’t change your birth order, you can develop an awareness of birth-order characteristics and appreciate the differences each person brings to the workplace. Birth orders shed some light on why, for example, someone might be uncomfortable taking a leadership position and someone else seems to naturally be a good negotiator.

The firstborn

It all starts with the firstborn. This person typically is characterized as a serious, conscientious leader who is used to taking control and setting the stage for younger siblings to follow. To a firstborn, taking over and giving directions fits into the natural order because they were raised with high expectations. Firstborns usually work with an intense focus, like to follow procedures and have a conservative approach to interacting with people.

In a work setting, firstborns can bring an authoritarian style and may lean toward being controlling. Learning to compromise and value the differences others bring to the workplace is important.

The only child

Those raised without siblings resemble firstborns in the way they assume leadership roles and are naturally independent. Because only children have the sole attention of parents, they have a tendency to relate to adults and can be exposed to a higher vocabulary. A leader who is an only child usually takes work seriously and has more self-confidence that often shapes their unique view on creativity. Most only children are independent and are reliable.

As an only child, developing your view of teamwork and learning how expand your social side are important attributes in growing your career. Allowing yourself to learn from mistakes instead of personalizing them as failure can help you be more tolerant of others in the workplace.

The middle child

The middle child learns to adapt and naturally seeks a position of compromise as a result of being sandwiched between the oldest and youngest children. This gives the middle child an excellent advantage in working in team settings in the workplace. They desire harmony and are the content when relationships are running smooth at work.

Working with a middle child can be one of the best working relationships to have because they understand the value of negotiating. The middle child who is a manager often has empathy for those who do not get recognition. Out of all the birth orders, a middle child can be the most open-minded and most likely to establish open-door policies where communication is encouraged and valued.

As a middle child, it is important to develop your identity, learn you can’t please everyone and recognize that in the workplace, there will be situations where harmony will not always be present.

The youngest child

The youngest child often does not carry as much responsibility as older siblings. By the time the youngest child is born, parents usually are more lenient, and younger children tend to develop a carefree attitude and let others take the lead. This carefree upbringing can spill over to the workplace and may give the impression you don’t take work as seriously as others may.

In the workplace, the youngest child might need more supervision and patience as they develop the skills needed to participant in teams. At the same time, the youngest child’s sense of creativity and adventuresome spirit can make him a great innovator. If you’re a youngest child, developing decision-making skills and learning to take lead roles can help you grow in your career.

It is helpful to understand how birth order can impact your communication style and may even help explain why it’s easier to get along better with some people than with others. Understanding the differences birth order may create in people can foster better working relationships and help you better manage your career.